Bird feeding station



Nov. 9, 1954 G. H. MoREY BIRD FEEDING STATION Filed July l5. 1954 2 sheets-sheet 1 ATTORNEYS Nov. 9, 1954 G; H, MoREY BIRD FEEDING STATION 2 Sheets-Sheet` 2 Filed July l5. 1954 IN VENTOR Glan' Hillary ATTORNEYS station. .More specifically, .pelectrically heated bird feeder-to'='permitvwild birdsy to 'il feed under .all weather conditions fand' particularly. dur- .washed away ther, lack` the diet. Furthermore, Vwild birdsA seek a. place of warmth :Qin cold weather United States Patenti@ BIRD FEEDING STATION Glen H. Morey',l Terre'jHautyInd. fr Application July 15,1954, SeaINoi-:4`43g509 7. Claims.` .(Cl.:11951) .This invention.relateszgenerally '.-to awild .bird feeding .theinventionwrelates .to an mg bad winter weather.

IPresently available bird feedingfdevices are i generally ::.plagued Vwith the problem .of .beingfcovered by snow 1 andice'during extended periods oflthe-wintermonths. :bviously snow covering; the .feeder preventsI-the fbirds :fromv obtaining the .feed..:under the";snow. Likewise, f water Vfreezing over the feed ifpreventsxthe. birds. from @reaching the feed-on the feeder.

, ManyV bird feeding structuresv allowfthe .feed :tor be by rainy or melting ,snowfand ice,` and ,fur-

grit necessaryf for a-propercbird .feeding and accordingly are not .attracted tothe general type of -bird feeders now in use.

. Accordingly, 1t is a primary.V object joflthis .invention ..fto provide a bird feeding .stationawhich will 'maintain the food placed on said :feeding station available for consumption by t. condition to reduce the possibility of :its rotting.

the birds and in a substantially dry Itis a further object. of thisinventionY to provide a ffeeding station which Will-maintain apcontinally avail* ble supply of 1 iet.

grit for supplementing the birds :food

- It is anadditional object-of fthis vinvention vto provide a bird feeding station wherein .the feedand grit will not be washed away by rain or melting. snow and ice.

Y .It is another object-of this linvention to zprovide a bird feedingl station which will Ypresent a warm Iarea -to atf-tract'blrds to the'station iny cold weather.

These and other objects of' this invention willbecome VVmore apparent from the description which follows of a specific embodiment as illustrated on'the drawings.

l In the drawings:

Figure l is a top plan view'of one embodiment of the bird feeding station.

; Figure 2 is an enlargedV sectional View vtaken on line 2 2 of Figure l Figure 3 is an enlarged 4detailed sectional View taken non line 3.-3 of Figure l.

Figure 4 is a sectional viewgtakerrronlinea 4-f4 of Figure 5., illustrating a modified bird feeding station construction. 1

Figure 5*.is Ihorizontal sectional view taken on line 5 5 of Figure 4 with parts broken away.

@Inathe embodiment illustrated by Figures' lthrough 3 on the drawings, the bird feeding lstation includes a cir- .'culalt platform 1 .on-which. it toube supported-the feed and gritr A 4necessary for the birdsv idiet.

1 is preferably-madeof copper to linsure even heat transl*fer from the heating meansof-the-bird feeder described f` hereinafter. -It will of-coursebe:understood-however,

This platform that any suitable-material `mayfbefused for this platform. Above the platform 1 several layers of a heat-resist ant'fabric 2 such as glass fabric, asbestos, eteetera, are

-positioned to -Yreceivethe'fbird'feed'and grit A thereon.

Extending downwardly and communicating with the upper surface of platform 1 are a pair of drain tubes 3 provided to conduct rain and melted snow or ice away from the bird feed and grit supported on the platform 1. It will be noted that the layers of heat-resistant fabric 2 cover the entire surface of the platform 1, including the opening of the drain tubes 3. Thus this fabric serves'to prevent the feed and grit A from being 2,693,787 f Patented Nov. .9, 1954 ICC washed :downthe drainzztubes 3 :as anywateriowsfrom .the i feedand grit. ."sistantf fabric 2"protectthe birdslffeetufromecoming: in

11n"l additionguthe .iayersi ofatheat-recontact with the heat distributing platform lasshuld i the feed-and grit A-.become so misdistributed-eas to bare a portion of* the .surfacei'off the'feeder platform.

V'Immediately beneath .the platform 1' a .flat-coil 4 is provided to .servetas a .heatingtmeansiforrthebirdffeeding-.station and produceiuniformvheatingof:theplatform 1. This vcoil mayv be:rsuitablyaconstructed-of. awsingle coiled length of resistance Iwire sorfthat-electric-.current flowing therethrough will-produce heating infthetcoil.

It will .be read-ilygappreciateclthat a rvarietyeof types of heatng'meansrmay'befutilizedinplaceof-heating coil such 4 withinzthexscope ofthe-invention.. As'one--such suitable alternative, .the platform 1v may :be madefof heatresisting glass and an:electricalconducting film applied to one side of the glass. Such electrical-conducting films have been-developed` which,-..fwhen .applied to the glass, permit an .electric current Ypassing through film to generateheat. This substitute `:for the dat `heating coil 4 -wo'uldwalso produce vthe desired uniform heatingfofl the platform 1 and? thus heat the feed and grit carried ,by the feedingstation.

Surrounding the heating coil 4 withthe majorportion positioned beneaththe coil is abody off` insulating. .material 5 as glass wool. This material serves to prevent heat'loss away from'vthebottom of the platform 1 and thereby insure'thatthe heatfrom coil 4.distributed by platform 1 is utilized in melting snowzand icefon .the

feeder and drying the 'feed.and grit supportedon, the

platform.

A cylinder rim 6 extendsiaround-theperiphery of .the platform 1'and is suitably secured thereto-.as by soldering or welding. The rim 6 extends.abovethesurface of the platform 1 tofprovide afiiange fory the '.platform in retaining the :feed and .grit thereon. 'Further; this rim extends` downwardly below the lplaneaofv platform 1V to encase the heating coiI 4 andinsulatingmaterial 5 to thereby insure that .moisture does .notxcome .in contact with' the coil and insulating material. In. a structure wherein the platform and..heating..meansrare,con-

structed of heat-resisting ..glass..a'nd`. an electrical. conducting filmA applied thereto, vthe lplatformL 1..may.- bc made with the rim 6 `and drain tubes 3. formed of glass as a single integral. unit. with .the fplatform.

A. pair of lead-in connections 'l extend. from the ends of the fiat heating coil 4 to a connector" 8. mounted in a casing 9 suitably secured to the .outer wallof the. rim 6. The connector 8 connectsf the lead-in ,connections 7 to a source of electricity .through a conventional electric cord 10. The connector 8 may be .of any suitable construction to enable the cord '10 to be readily disconnected from'. the ,bird feeding device. -'Thus it may be possible I in timesfof good weather when the heating coil 4 isnot needed todisconnectthecoiland .use the device without energizing the electric. heating means.

` To support the feeder at the desired level-abovethe ground, a post V11 of the required length isiprovided with tubes S'freelyslidingin the y.openings '14. .Thus itwill be. seen' that the: .insulating `material 5i isfsandwiched-between the platform 1 and plate 13 and that the entire bird feeding station is prevented from being laterally displaced by the rim 6 surrounding plate 13 and the drain tubes 3 extending through the openings 14.

Figures 4 and 5 illustrate a modified embodiment of the bird feeding station possessing the general characteristics of the hereinabove described embodiment. In the structure of Figures 4 and 5 there is provided a platforml 20 having a downwardly turned iiange 21 extending around the periphery thereof. A plate 22 having a peripheral ange 23 is secured, as by suitable fasteners 24, to the lower edge of ange 21 so that the plate is spaced from the underside of platform`20. The space between platform 20 and plate 22 provides a cavity having a mass of insulating material 2S, such as glass wool, positioned therein.

In this embodiment, as illustrated, a flat coil 26 is embedded in the insulating material 2S to serve as a heating means for the bird feeding station to uniformly heat platform 21 in the manner as described for the embodiment of Figures l through 3. It will be readily recognized that a variety of types of heating means may be utilized in place of the specific heating coil 26 as illustrated, such as for example the alternative described in connection with the iirstly illustrated embodiment. The ends of the heating wire which forms coil 26 are provided with lead-in connections (not shown) and thereby suitably connected to a source of electrical power such as in the manner illustrated in Figure 3 for the rstly described embodiment.

A rim 27 having an upper rolled edge 28 is secured to the flanges 21 and 23 by fasteners 24. This rim is spaced radially outwardly of the outer surface of flange 21 with arcuate insulating strips 29 secured intermediate flange 21 and the inner surface of the rim 27. The adjoining ends of insulating strips 29 are spaced from one another to provide a plurality of drainage ports 30 at spaced positions around the periphery of the platform 20.

The insulating strips 29 which may be formed of any suitable type of insulation, as for example asbestos, serve a dual purpose in the construction of the bird feeding station of Figures 4 and 5. First these strips function to support the rim 27 spaced outwardly from the edge of platform 20 and by reason of theirends being spaced one from another, provide the drainage ports 30 which facilitate draining of any moisture which may collect on top of platform 20 in the feed and grit supported thereon. Secondly the use of insulation in the form of strips 29 between the rim 27 and the edge of platform 20 materially reduces the transfer of heat outwardly from the platform to rim 27 when the platform 20 is heated by energization of coil 26. V.Heatingof the rim 27 results in loss of heat to the surrounding atmosphere and therefore by precluding heat transfer to the rim, the power requirements for the bird feeding station may be reduced and more eifectively applied to the basic intended purpose of heating the feed and grit so as to prevent freezing thereof or to remove accumulations of snow and to effect rapid drying of the feed and grit.

Layers of heat resistant fabric 31, such as glass fabric, asbestos, etc., are disposed over the platform 20 to extend outwardly to the inner surface of rim 27 As in the previously described embodiment, this foraminous layer carries the feed and grit A thereon. Likewise such layers of fabric serve to prevent the feed and grit from being washed down the drain ports 30 and protect the birds feet from coming in direct contact with the heat distributing platform 20 in the event of misdistribution of the feed and grit such as to bare a portion of the surface of the feeder platform.

To support the bird feeding station at the desired level above the ground a flanged coupling 32 is secured to the underside of plate 22 and a post 33 of suitable length engaged with coupling 32 and secured to a supporting structure or embedded in the ground at its lower end for mounting the bird feeding station.

In the two specific embodiments illustrated on the drawings post supporting means have been illustrated. It will be recognized that such specific support means may be dispensed with if desired and the bird feeder simply supported on a window sill or other support means as may be available.

Thebird feeding stations illustrated are shown to be circular in shape. However, it will be appreciated that within the scope of the instant invention the feeding station may be of any desired shape, such as square or rectangular.

The instant application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Serial No. 353,084, filed May 5, 1953, entitled Bird Feeding Station.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A bird feeding station comprising a platform to support a supply of feed and grit thereon, a rim extending around the edge of said platform, drainage port means for draining water from said platform, heating means positionedV adjayent the underside of said platform, and a foraminous heat resisting sheet member covering said drain means and said platform to'prevent the feed and grit from being washed down said drain and protect the birds from excess heat from said heating means.

2. A bird feeding station as recited in claim- 1 having a post to support said platform at the desired height above the ground.

3. A bird feeding station as recitedin claim l'wlierein said drainage port means is formed by said rim being spaced outwardly from the edge of said platform to provide an opening intermediate said rim and the edge of said platform.

4. A bird feeding station comprising a feed and grit supporting platform, a drain tu'oe connected to said platform and extending therethrough, at least one layer of heat resistant foraminous material positioned on said platform to prevent the feed and grit from being washed down said drain tube, an electric heating coil surrounded by insulation positioned adjacent the underside of said platform, a rim around the periphery of said platform extending above and below the plane of the platform to retain the grain and grit on said platform and encase the heating coil and insulation beneath said platform, and electrical connections for connecting said coil to a source of electricity.

5. A bird feeding station as recited in claim 4, provided with a support means comprising a post and a plate secured to the upper end thereof, said plate having an aperture located so as to permit said drain tube to extend therethrough and said rim enclosing the periphery of said plate whereby said insulation and heating coil are entirely enclosed between said platform, plate and 6. A bird feeding station as recitedin claim 4 wherein said electrical connections comprise a ,disconnectable coupling to enable said heating coil to be readily disconnected from the source of electricity.

7. A bird feeding station comprising a platform to support a supply of Vfeed and grit thereon, a rim extending around and spaced outwardly from the edge of said platform, insulating strips interposed between said rim and the edge of said platform to reduce heat` transfer between said rim and said platform, the adjoining ends of said strips being spaced from one another to provide drainage ports at spaced points around the edge of -said platform, heating means positioned adjacent the undersider of said platform and a foraminous heat resisting sheet member covering said ports and said platform to prevent the feed and grit from being washed through said ports and protect the birds feet from excess heat from said heating means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,642,304 Lantz` Sept. 13, 1927 1,912,300 Parks May 30, 1933 2,019,407 Graves, Ir. Oct. 29, 1935 2,479,355 Hemker Aug. 16,' 1949 2,497,998 Lee Feb. 21, 1950 2,606,522 Harris Aug. l2, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 580,102 Germany July'6, 1933 

